Jane Austen was born December 16, 1775, in Southern England, to George and Cassandra Austen. She had six brothers and one sister. She was from a fairly substantial gentry family, and her father was also a rector in the church. Her brothers professions ranged from the British Navy, to clergyman and banker. Austen was very close to her sister, Cassandra, and brother George. She was educated in Cambridge and South Hampton. Her writing helped transition English writing from the neo-classical period of the 1700s to the era of romanticism of the 19th century. Austen was briefly engaged, but never married. Her writings are set in the Regency period, and although she lived during the time of the Napoleonic Wars, they are never mentioned in her writings. She was very close to her family and enjoyed country society, but did not enjoy the confines of city life. She died July 18, 1817 in Winchester after a long illness. Jane Austen only published six books, but they have been overwhelmingly popular and remain so today. Numerous works and movies have been based on her books, such as the movie Clueless, which is a modern day adaption based on Austen's novel Emma, and the movie Goodfellas, which is loosely based on the novel Mansfield Park. There are about 600 adaptations of her work being produced, and her novels have been translated into many different languages. Even today, one of the most famous quotes from her books, "It is a truth universally acknowledged that...", which is the first line of Pride and Prejudice, is by newspaper columns writers in their articles about 75 times a week.
Born: December 16, 1775; Died: July 18, 1817
Novels by Jane Austen:
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